Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
He goes flying into his friend. They flail in a tangle of limbs, fighting to find their feet. The driver rounds the corner, cussing up a storm. The second attacker—the one with the lip ring—sees the driver and takes off, while the first one pauses to pull his hoodie up over his shaved head. “Bitch,” he snarls at me. Then he races off, disappearing into the shadows with his friend.
The lady is still screaming. The driver hovers between me and the curb, looking like he wants to run after the assailants. After a moment, he returns to my side to help me up. “Fucking tweakers. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Check her.” I nod to the lady. If she wants to press charges, she can talk to the cops. I just want to go home and sleep for a week.
If word gets around the police force that I was blindsided by a couple of drugged-up thugs, I’ll never hear the end of it.
Hopefully, I can keep my name out of things, and no one will be wiser.
The shopkeeper rushes out. “I called the cops!” he shouts as two units round the corner and squeal to a stop, bathing us in red and blue flashing lights.
In the fluorescent lights of the police station, my eyes ache with exhaustion.
I feel tired and grimy, tainted from the attacker touching me. His dank stench clings to my coat and hair.
Only the sore points under my clothes and on the soles of my feet hold me together.
“Is that it?” the officer working the desk asks, and I bob my head.
“All right. We’ll do our best to catch these fuckers.”
Sure. “Thanks.” I stand up, ready to disappear.
“You’re working the Martin case, right?”
Crap. So much for escaping attention. Everybody’s going to know about this by morning. Burgess and Cuccinelli will love it. Worse will be Bonds, studying me, silently evaluating whether or not I’m okay. Treating me like I’m fragile.
“Yeah,” I say.
He nods. “Sarge says go home, get some rest. You’re off duty tomorrow.”
“Fine.” I can’t argue with Sarge. Maybe I can go home, get some sleep, and be up in time to do some door-knocking in the afternoon. I don’t want to show my face at the station again until I have more evidence for my case. I made strides getting that tape of the UNSUB, but this will set me back.
“I’ll get a unit to take you home.”
I want to tell him not to bother, but I’m too tired.
The day is dawning by the time I’m back at my place. I do my routine of checking all the locks on the doors and windows. My gun is still on the bedside table where I left it, thinking I didn’t need to take it to the club. A mistake I won’t make again. I pull out my pepper spray and Taser, too, and place them by the gun.
Finally, I strip and step into the shower.
With the water pounding on my head, I examine my marks. The ones on my arms have faded, but my hip bears a giant bruise. A bluish-purple watercolor. Beautiful.
I stroke it, letting the pain bleed through me. It calms me enough that I can stagger out of the shower and straight to bed without doing my lock-checking routine a second time. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I’m out.
Him
She sleeps like a child curled in on herself. Tuesday night, she’d been too restless for me to visit. I stood in the empty townhouse next to hers, straining as if I could hear her soft breathing.
The cameras I installed aren’t enough. I need more of her. I need to be closer.
But I have to go carefully. She’s isolated herself so completely. She craves intimacy yet fears it. She’s erected thick walls, a princess in a tower. I can be the one who breaches them, but I must be gentle. Careful. Like a tiny vine winding between cracks in the stone.
I’ve been planning our meeting since I found her again in California. I’d love to reveal myself fully but If I move too fast, too soon, she’ll run.
She’s run so many times before. Her history is a bleak, empty expanse. Everyone she’s loved has died, so now she pushes away the ones she loves. She has no friends. No contacts.
Tonight’s scene was a breakthrough. She allowed a repeat scene. She allowed me to touch her.
And then, the thugs almost destroyed everything.
I received news of the attack almost as soon as it happened. My powers extend to infiltrating the police department, but I couldn’t get close to her there. I’ll have to wait until she returns here. To her home, that’s safe. Safe from anyone but me.
I stand over her bed and give myself a few minutes to watch her sleep.
I can’t stay.
I want to, but monsters are prowling the city, and two of them hurt my little bird.